Lanterns Rise, We Meet and Part

After eight years of dating, Gavin Hart, for the sake of excitement, turned on the voice chat in his group of guy friends—while coaxing me into sleeping with him.

I froze in place as the phone filled with a chorus of whistles and teasing voices.

"Wow, Gavin really knows how to have fun!"

"Don't be shy, girl! Spice it up a little!"

Gavin’s warm hand slipped under my dress.

"Why are you pretending? Aren’t you usually pretty wild?"

Suddenly, a woman’s voice chimed in from the group, “Gavin, your girlfriend is really easy.”

Gavin let out a sneer. “How could she ever compare to you? Bianca is so much purer.”

I suddenly pushed him away.

“Gavin, if she’s so pure, then go be with her.”

——

“You're willing to hand me over to someone else? You’re such a tease. Who else but me could ever satisfy you?”

His fingers lightly brushed against my cheek, his voice laced with a mocking tone I didn’t recognize.

“Lana, be good. It’s just letting them listen, isn’t it? Doesn’t that make it even more exciting?”

I slapped Gavin hard across the face.

“Gavin, what do you take me for?” My voice choked with emotion, carrying a despair I had never felt in the past eight years.

Seeing me like that, Gavin stood up impatiently.

“What do I take you for? Just a bed partner, isn’t it? All these years, you seemed to enjoy it too, didn’t you? Lana, everything between us was mutual.”

I bit my lower lip hard, my nails digging into my palms—yet I couldn’t feel any pain.

Eight years.

A full eight years.

What I thought was love was nothing more than a game of mutual consent in his eyes,

“Don’t come looking for me again.” My voice was soft—so soft it sounded like I was speaking only to myself.

Gavin scoffed with a laugh. “Lana, this is no fun. You’re such a buzzkill.”

He stood up, his tone filled with condescending annoyance.

I opened my mouth, but for the first time, I didn’t try to stop him.

The door slammed shut with a bang and I slowly sank to the floor.

All these years, my heart had been entirely devoted to Gavin. Whatever he wanted, I tried to meet his every need.

I thought that was the sweetness of being in love— but now, from his mouth, it had become me being "cheap."

At that moment, I too felt like it was all meaningless.

I packed up a few things and went to resign from my job.

Back then, for Gavin, I turned down the opportunity to go abroad with my parents.

I gave up painting, something I truly loved, willingly becoming his little secretary just to stay by his side—just to see him every day.

Looking back now, how ridiculous it all was.

The HR staff looked at my resignation letter and cautiously asked, “Does Mr. Hart know? He probably won’t let you resign, right? You should get his signature yourself.”

I took the letter and knocked on Gavin’s office door.

He glanced casually at the resignation I handed over.

“Lana, throwing a tantrum at home is one thing. But now you’re bringing your drama into the office too?”

Drama?

I gave a bitter smile. So in his eyes, all my pain was just me “making a scene.”

“You know, aside from your looks, you’re nothing compared to Bianca.”

“Well, isn’t that just perfect? Sign it and we’ll be done. I don’t want to be entangled with you anymore. You can’t give me what I want, so let’s end this. The one you want to marry… has never been me.”

Gavin fell silent for a long time and for a brief moment, his expression wavered.

But then Bianca’s ringtone rang, shattering the momentary silence.

“Lana, stop making a fuss.”

He picked up the call, his tone already cold again.